In this particular instance, when I'm referring to content I specifically mean the adventure aspect of a Pokémon game. Cuz that's what they're supposed to be, adventures.
If we're talking competitive SwSh was a goddamn godsend. The way they streamlined the whole process of making a viable Pokémon was nearly immaculate. But...I'm not a competitive player. I'm a player who wants to immerse myself in this world. I want to imagine that I truly live in an expansive region, caught between lush forests and bustling cities. Populated by magical creatures who I can befriend.
And while SwSh did have the friendship aspect, but so does every other Pokemon game. What the games
didn't have was an immersive world.
With the exception of one field in the middle, the entire region is a bunch of hallways. How am I supposed to envision myself on an epic quest through the wild, when "the wild" is the length and width of an aisle at the grocery store? Not only is it dull, it also just looks very artificial.
I love it when a game can give me a unique story. Like playing BOTW and running somewhere with enemies who could destroy me, and finding a way to persevere. Or playing Mario Odyssey and finding a moon in a way you weren't quite supposed to. Or playing Legends Arceus and managing to catch a Pokemon that you'd think you wouldn't be able to.
I love having these stories. I love sharing them with other players. It's special to me, and it helps me feel like my experience was uniquely mine.
SwSh just isn't built for moments like this. Everyone's gonna play the game the same way, because they have to. Aside form which Pokémon they use, everybody's gonna go through the exact same beats. There's nothing to discover, nothing to just...get lost in.
So, from my point of view, Scarlet and Violet already has way more content than SwSh. Being able to traverse the region at your own pace makes it feel like your adventure, and not like the game is forcing you down one specific (and very linear) path. And because of the three stories, there's far more variety in how different players will experience the game as they play through it. Maybe they do each story straight through, maybe they hop from one to another at random, there are tons of possibilities!
Me and my dragon buddy are gonna travel Paldea on
our terms, getting into whatever shenanigans we find while exploring. Our experience will be uniquely ours, not just in what Pokemon are on the team, but in how we explore this world. And in exactly what ways we do it.
Now obviously the game isn't out yet. Maybe it's poopy poopy butts. And I don't think it's gonna be GOTY or anything.
But, for my money, it's already looking like a better adventure than
The Great British Hallway Fest (2019)
Also
Dragons